'Where do you get your ideas from?'

I'm occasionally asked this question, and sometimes I've no idea, but now and then it's an easy question to answer. One of my resolutions this month (and beyond!) is to blog more frequently, and another is to create a new item at least once a week. Hopefully these things will be good enough, or lead to something good enough, to make more to sell.



So yesterday I got out my sketch book and then started looking at my instagram feed. And first up was a new print by Eloise Renouf, whose work I love. And from that starting point, I started sketching a few ideas using some of the shapes and combinations that she has used in the print.

This morning, once I'd finished off some orders, I started making a couple of rough versions of two of the sketches. The idea is that they will eventually be made from gold and silver, but naturally I'm starting with all silver versions.

This is the top part of the earrings with the post and a tiny jump ring attached to the reverse, and the lower parts before I cut them out.



Then I popped a ring through the hole at the top of the shapes and threaded this through the other ring, and soldered it closed. Finally I polish the top part to a mirror finish and the dangling shapes are matt.

 

New opportunities, new work

This last month I have been working on some new 'products' - I was shoved (though not rudely!) in this direction by the rather inspirational Abby at Prema Arts in Uley. She contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in teaching a short course at the arts centre. Well, it would be rude to say no wouldn't it?! In my old life as a graphic designer, I used to go into art colleges and speak about the type of life they could expect as a children's book illustrator, and occasionally set projects... hardly teaching but I knew I enjoyed what I did back then.

Prema Arts at Uley - gorgeous!

So Abby suggested not just a course, but also a workshop. My real love in  jewellery making is piercing - or cutting out is the easiest way to think of it. I love doing a drawing and then making the drawing out of metal. So the course is fairly easy, in a way, as it the students will have time to design and make their own piece of jewellery, using piercing techniques. This is an example of my piercing work....

Available here

Outside of jewellery making what I adore and collect to some degree, is papercutting. Rob Ryan has long been my hero, and I have a few pieces of his brilliant work. So for the one day workshop, Abby and I talked over a simple idea that combines these passions. I also love to embroider and use freehand machine sewing techniques to create simple 'pieces' usually based on my simple flower sketches. And so something entirely new has emerged from Jemima Lumley HQ.

The one above is made from copper which I've textured, and stands about 11cm high. It sold to a very dear customer before it even got to the shop in Bristol! I've also been making simpler versions, with just one plant featured. You can see these on my Facebook or Instagram pages, and there'll be professional photos soon. They are available to buy if you contact me directly. For now they are one offs, approximately 15cm high, including the wooden block (which is oak or cherry) and cost between £45-£65. Some of the single flowers are made from this lovely weathered copper, which isn't cheap, and being someone who hates waste, has set me off on a reusing path, and here are the current results. 

Fuchsia earrings made from both types of copper, brass, and various bits and bobs! £30-£40 with sterling silver ear wires. All the copper, for both the earrings and the plant ornaments are lacquered so the copper won't change colour.

fab new boxes!

This is a photo of my new boxes, just arrived from Finer Packaging, who, as always, have done me proud! I ordered these on Monday morning and they arrived on Wednesday evening! Amazing huh? These wild pink boxes are just for my feather earrings and necklaces which look incredible in the boxes. Very chuffed indeed.

Meanwhile, don't forget to leave a comment below if you want to be in the draw on Sunday evening to win the wild roses stud earrings. With the likes on FB and the comments here I'm nearing the 100 mark, at which point there will be two pairs available to win, so tell your friends too!

a couple of new ones!

A few new earrings to show you....
Photos taken by the brilliant Clare Swayne - see more of her work here.